Breakdown of Necesito concentración para estudiar español.
yo
I
español
Spanish
estudiar
to study
para
to
necesitar
to need
la concentración
the concentration
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Necesito concentración para estudiar español.
Why is there no article before concentración?
In Spanish, abstract or uncountable nouns like concentración often appear without an article when you’re speaking in general. Saying Necesito la concentración would sound like you need a specific concentration (perhaps one you mentioned before). Omitting the article simply means “I need concentration” in general.
Why is it para and not por estudiar español?
Para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to”). So para estudiar means “in order to study.” On the other hand, por typically indicates cause, reason, or means (“because of” or “by way of”). To say “I need concentration in order to study Spanish,” you use para.
Why isn’t there an article before español?
Names of languages in Spanish are treated as common nouns and usually don’t take an article after verbs like hablar, estudiar, aprender, etc. Hence, you say estudiar español (“to study Spanish”), not estudiar el español, unless you’re referring to a specific course or context (“the Spanish program”).
Could I say Necesito concentrarme para estudiar español instead?
Yes. Necesito concentrarme uses the reflexive verb concentrarse (“to concentrate myself”) and is perfectly natural. The original sentence uses the noun concentración, but both convey the same idea—that you need to focus in order to study.
What part of speech is estudiar here, and why is it in the infinitive form?
After prepositions like para, Spanish uses the infinitive form of a verb. In this sentence, estudiar is an infinitive verb functioning adverbially to express purpose (“to study”). It’s not acting as a noun here.
How do you pronounce concentración, and where is the stress?
You pronounce it kon-sen-tra-CIÓN (phonetic: /kon-sen-tɾaˈsjon/). The accent mark on the ó shows that the stress falls on the final syllable.
Why isn’t español capitalized?
In Spanish, the names of languages are common nouns and are written in lowercase. That’s why you write español, not Español.
What’s the difference between Necesito and Tengo que to express necessity?
Necesito (“I need”) conveys an internal need or desire. Tengo que (“I have to”) implies an obligation or external requirement. Saying Necesito concentración focuses on your personal need to focus; saying Tengo que concentrarme would sound like you have an obligation (perhaps someone else’s) to concentrate.